Onni Group of Companies TRANSPORTATION STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT 13 TH STREET/LONSDALE, CITY OF NORTH VANCOUVER, BC FINAL REPORT

Transcription

1 Onni Group of Companies TRANSPORTATION STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOENT AT 13 TH STREET/LONSDALE, CITY OF NORTH VANCOUVER, BC FINAL REPORT OCTOBER 10, 2012

2 Onni Group of Companies DOCUMENT CONTROL Client: Project Name: Onni Group of Companies Transportation Study for the Proposed Development at 13 th St/Lonsdale, North Vancouver, B.C. Report Title: IBI Reference: Version: Transportation Study for the Proposed Development at 13th Street/Lonsdale, CITY of North Vancouver, BC VO Final Digital Master: Originator: Reviewer: Authorization: Circulation List: j:\29039_lonsdaletraf\10.0 reports\ttr_lonsdale_13st_tia_v12_ docx Mladen Pecanac, Moudud Hasan Moudud Hasan, Homayoun Vahidi Homayoun Vahidi Dragana Mitic, Dionne Delesalle History: - Draft Report Submission May 6, Revised Draft Report Submission June 21, 2012 October 10, 2012 Page 1.

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS Road Network Intersection Configuration and Traffic Controls Existing Traffic Volumes Future Background Traffic Volumes Intersection Analysis - Background Traffic Land Use SITE TRAFFIC Existing Site Existing Site Traffic Proposed Development Proposed Development Traffic COMBINED TRAFFIC CONDITIONS Combined Traffic Analysis Site Access Parking Requirements Loading Requirements Bicycle Parking Requirements ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVE MODES Existing Pedestrian Facilities Existing Bicycle Facilities Existing Transit Services Non-Auto Trip Generation SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Appendix A: Traffic Counts Appendix B: Intersection Analysis Background Traffic Appendix C: Intersection Analysis Combined Traffic Appendix D: Turn Path Analysis 14 th Street/N-S Lane Access Appendix E: Multi-Modal Assessment (Pedestrians) October 10, 2012 Page i.

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT D) List of Tables and Exhibits Table 2.1: Existing Key Roads near Site... 2 Exhibit 2.1.1: Existing Road Network... 3 Exhibit 2.1.2: Existing Traffic Control... 3 Table 2.2: Existing Intersection Configuration... 4 Table 2.4: Intersection Level of Service vs. Delay... 6 Table 2.5: Summary of Intersection Performance Background Traffic... 7 Exhibit 3.1: Existing Site Accesses... 9 Table 3.1: Existing Safeway Trip Generation and Site Access Volumes Table 3.2: Comparison of Existing Safeway Trips vs. ITE Estimates Exhibit 3.2: Market Catchment Area for Existing Safeway Table 4.1: Summary of Intersection Performance Combined Traffic Table 4.2: Summary of Access Performance (2024) Table 4.3: Bylaw Parking Requirements Table 4.4: Loading Requirements Table 4.5: Loading Requirements (Richmond, BC) Table 4.6: Loading Requirements (Toronto, ON) Table 4.6: Bylaw Bicycle Requirements Exhibit 5.1: Existing Pedestrian Routes Exhibit 5.2: Existing Mid-Block Pedestrian Crossing on 13 th Street Table 5.1: Pedestrian Activity at Mid-Block Crosswalk on 13 th Street Exhibit 5.3: TAC Estimated Crossing Opportunities for a 3-Lane One-Way Cross-Section Exhibit 5.4: TAC Pedestrian Crossing Control Warrant Chart Exhibit 5.5: Bicycle Network Table 5.2: Bicycle Volumes 13 th Street east of Lonsdale Avenue Exhibit 5.6: East-West Bicycle Facilities on 13 th Street Exhibit 5.7: Shared Bike Lane on 13 th Street west of Lonsdale Avenue Exhibit 5.6: Transit Network Table 5.3: Estimated Non-Auto Trip generation Table 5.4: Pedestrian Trip Distribution Exhibit A.1: Summary of 2010 Peak Hour Traffic Volumes... 2 Exhibit A.2: 2012 Pedestrian Volumes at Study Intersections... 2 October 10, 2012 Page ii.

5 1. INTRODUCTION Onni Group of Companies is planning to construct a mixed-use residential and commercial development in the northeast corner of the intersection of 13 th Street/Lonsdale Avenue in the City of North Vancouver, B.C. The location of the site in the context of North Vancouver is shown in Exhibit 1.1 whilst an aerial view of the site and surrounds is given in Exhibit 1.2. The subject site covers a number of parcels including the existing Safeway site at 130 East 13 th Street, and other retail developments at 1308 Lonsdale Avenue, 117 East 14 th Street and at 133 East 14 th Street. The Safeway building is adjacent to 13 th Street, and there are two smaller retail stores fronting 14 th Street and a public parking lot in the southwest corner of the site. The subject land parcels, shown in Exhibit 1.3, are to be consolidated and redeveloped for a highdensity mixed use residential, retail and office development. Based on the current plan, the development will consist of 344 dwelling units in two high-rise towers, approximately 9,010 m 2 (97,000 ft 2 ) of retail/commercial space, and 7,340 m 2 (79,000 ft 2 ) of office space. Vehicular access is proposed from 13 th Street west of St. Georges Avenue and also from 14 th Street via an existing north-south lane. For the purpose of analysis, the entire development was assumed to be completed by the end of This study examines the current and future operations of the surrounding road network to determine what improvements, if any, may be required to accommodate background traffic volumes. Also examined is the operation with the future site generated traffic in place. Improvements required to mitigate the likely effects of this additional site traffic are identified. The goal is to ensure that once the site traffic is in place, intersections and roadways around the site operate as well as, or at least no worse than, they did without the incremental site traffic added on. The work undertaken, the findings and the conclusions are summarized in this report. Walk, Bike and Transit Use In addition to traffic impact analysis, the study also seeks to identify measures/strategies to reduce reliance on automobiles and promote non-vehicular trips, i.e., walk, bike and transit use. The site is located in an urban environment, amidst numerous retail, commercial, healthcare and various other amenities. This presents an opportunity to create a sustainable high-density neighbourhood that promotes non-vehicular modes of travel, i.e., walk, bike and transit. The following features of the development or the area are expected to reduce the reliance on vehicles: Access and circulation is the backbone of the proposed layout, enabling intuitive and simple access for pedestrians and cyclists both within and beyond the perimeter of the site. The subject area is served by a number of transit routes and just over a kilometre away from a multi-modal transit hub, Lonsdale Quay. The site is adjacent to a bike route (13 th Street) and a future Greenway link (14 th Street). It is also within a block of two primary north-south bike routes, Chesterfield and St. Andrews. Secure bike parking, storage, shower and change facilities are proposed, which will encourage bike use for the residents, visitors and employees at this site. Transportation Demand Management measures has been applied to reduce single occupancy vehicle use. October 10, 2012 Page 1.

6 SITE EXHIBIT 1.1 SITE LOCATION October 10, 2012

7 SITE October 10, 2012 EXHIBIT 1.2 SITE AREA AERIAL PHOTO

8 Hospital Other Retail RCMP Parking Safeway Grande Fire Hall EXHIBIT 1.3 EXISTING LAND USES October 10, 2012

9 2. BACKGROUND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS 2.1 Road Network The road network and associated traffic control in the vicinity of the site is shown in Exhibits and All the roads relevant to this study have a typical urban cross-section. This includes: 13 th Street, an arterial with running east-west along the southern perimeter of the site; Lonsdale Avenue, a major network road running north-south, along the western perimeter; 14 th Street, a local road running east-west along the north side of the site, it is one-way eastbound between a North-South Lane east of Lonsdale Avenue and St. Georges Avenue; St. Georges Avenue, another north-south road a short distance to the east of the site; North-South Lane, a public lane running parallel to and approximately 50 metres east of Lonsdale Avenue, as measured between the nearest pavement edges; and An east-west private lane running parallel to and 45 metres north of 13 th Street providing access to the subject site and a residential/commercial tower to the immediate east. Table 2.1 provides information on the existing roads in the vicinity of the site. In conjunction with this development the North-South Lane is proposed to be closed just north of 13 th Street. Access will be retained via north end of the lane at 14 th Street. An agreement has been made with the development on the immediate east to retain a short segment of the east-west private lane. This will allow garbage collection operations for the adjacent The Grande tower using the lane. Table 2.1: Existing Key Roads near Site Road Classification Laning Pavement Sidewalk/ Intersection Parking Curb/Gutter Spacing Lonsdale Ave Major Road 2 travel lanes each 19.3 m yes 120 m Yes Network way 13 Street Major Arterial 1 lane each way east of St Georges, 2 each way adjacent site & west of Jones 16.2 m yes 230 m yes (south side between Lonsdale & Chesterfield, between St Georges & St Andrews) Ave + turn lanes 14 Street Local 2 lanes 13.5 m yes 230 m Yes, angled on the south side site adjacent 15 Street Collector 2 lanes 13 m yes 230 m Yes St Georges Ave Minor Arterial 2 lanes & 4 lanes yes 120 m Yes south of 14 Street m St Andrews Ave Local 2 lanes m yes 120 m Yes Existing N-S Lane Public Lane 2 lanes 6.0 m no n/a no Existing E-W Lane Private Driveway 2 lanes 5.2 m no n/a no October 10, 2012 Page 2

10 Exhibit 2.1.1: Existing Road Network Exhibit 2.1.2: Existing Traffic Control October 10, 2012 Page 3

11 2.2 Intersection Configuration and Traffic Controls The City requested a total of 11 intersections to be analyzed in this study. Table 2.1 provides a summary of the existing laning configuration and traffic control at each of these intersections. This is also illustrated in Exhibit Of the selected 11 intersections, seven are signalized and the remaining four are presently unsignalized with stop-control on the minor road approaches. Four of the signalized intersections are along Lonsdale Avenue at 11 th Street, 13 th Street, 14 th Street and 15 th Street. The remaining ones are on St. Georges Avenue at 13 th Street and 15 th Street, and at Chesterfield Avenue/13 th Street. Two of the unsignalized intersections are on St. Andrews Avenue at 13 th Street and 15 th Street, and also at the intersections of 14 th Street/St. Georges Avenue, and 14 th Street/North-South lane. Table 2.2: Existing Intersection Configuration Traffic Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound Intersection Control L T R L T R L T R L T R 13 Street/Chesterfield Ave 1 2 < 1 2 < > 1 1 > 2 < 11 Street/Lonsdale Ave 1 > 1 < > 2 < > 2 < 13 Street/Lonsdale Ave 1 2 < > 2 1 > 2 < 14 Street/Lonsdale Ave 1 < 2 < > 2 < 15 Street/Lonsdale Ave > 2 < > 2 < > 2 < > 2 < 13 St/St. Georges Ave < > 2 < > 2 < 14 St/St. Georges Ave Unsignalized St/St. Georges Ave > 1 1 > 1 < > 1 1 > St/St. Andrews Ave Unsignalized > 1 < > 1 < > 1 < > 1 < 15 St/St. Andrews Ave Unsignalized > 1 < > 1 < > 1 < > 1 < 14 Street/N-S Lane Unsignalized > 1 < > 1 < > 1 < L=Left, T=Through, R=Right, < or > indicates no separate turn lane is provided, shared with adjacent through lane 2.3 Existing Traffic Volumes The 2012 existing traffic volumes for the key intersections in the vicinity of the site for the weekday p.m. peak hour and mid-day peak hour were established based on recent traffic count data. The City of North Vancouver provided traffic counts for four of these intersections, as presented in Appendix A. IBI Group carried out supplemental counts at the remaining intersections. Traffic counts were undertaken during the weekday p.m. peak hour (between and 4:45 and 5:45 p.m.) and mid-day peak hour (between 12:45 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.). The peak hours were identified based on an analysis of the available count data. The 2010 traffic counts were factored up assuming a growth rate of 0.5% per annum to estimate the 2012 volumes. Exhibit 2.2 illustrates the resulting 2012 existing volumes for the selected intersections in the p.m. and peak hours. October 10, 2012 Page 4

12 2.4 Future Background Traffic Volumes This study considers background traffic conditions for the 2014 opening year and a 10-year horizon of The background traffic volumes for 2014 and 2024 were estimated in two steps. Firstly, the existing site traffic volumes were subtracted from the 2012 existing volumes to obtain the base volumes without any site traffic. The base volumes were then factored up by an annual growth rate of 0.5% to each of the two horizon years. The existing site traffic was then added back to obtain the 2014 and 2024 background volumes including the existing site traffic. The existing site traffic volumes are shown in Exhibit 2.3. Traffic volumes at the existing site accesses were obtained from traffic counts. The site traffic was distributed along the key routes based on the expected trip distribution and at intersections based on existing turning movement volumes. The existing background traffic related to stores in the northwest corner of the site (1350, 1344 and 1318 Lonsdale Avenue) was retained on the North-South lane, which accounts for 40 vehicles in the peak hour. The redeveloped site will not include public parking and the non-site traffic is not expected to access this site. The remaining small volume of non-site traffic that currently uses the North-South lane will be rerouted to alternative routes and be spread over the road network. The incremental volume of rerouted traffic added to any individual turning movement will be less than 10 vehicles and will be within day-to-day traffic variations experienced at intersections. No specific treatment was therefore necessary for the low volume of remaining traffic. The 2014 and 2024 background volumes assume no changes to the existing Safeway site. The City s projected traffic growth for this area is 0.5% per annum. This growth rate was considered for the purpose of analysis. The City requested two other developments approved in the general area be taken into account in preparing future traffic projections. This includes a mixed-use development in the southeast corner of 13 Street/Lonsdale Avenue previously occupied by a gas station and modifications to the Lions Gate Hospital site in the northeast corner of 13 Street/St Georges Avenue. IBI Group prepared the traffic and parking report for the hospital site in 2009 and this information is readily available. Similar information was not available for the other development. Information available online indicates the development is to consist of a North Shore Credit Union offices with 5,570 m 2 floor space and 84 condominium units. Based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers trip rates, this development is estimated to generate less than 150 vehicles in the peak hour at build-out. These trips will be spread over the surrounding road network and in the inbound and outbound directions of travel. With Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures in place, the resulting increase in background volumes at the selected intersections are expected to be low. No specific information was available on access, trip generation and distribution for the nearby development. Given the small increase expected due to the new development, a higher growth rate of 1.0% per annum was applied between 2012 and 2014 as a simplified approach. The higher growth factor was applied to the 2012 existing volumes excluding the existing site traffic to obtain the 2014 base volumes. Beyond 2014, the City s suggested growth rate of 0.5% per annum was applied to estimate 2024 base volumes. The existing site traffic volumes were added to the 2014 and 2024 base volumes to obtain the background volumes for the two years. The background conditions therefore assume no changes to the existing site. The resulting background traffic volumes in the p.m. and peak hours for the 2014 and 2024 horizon years are presented in Exhibits 2.4 and 2.5, respectively. 2.5 Intersection Analysis - Background Traffic The peak hour operational performance of the selected intersections was analyzed applying the Highway Capacity Manual methods. For signalized intersections, the operational analysis October 10, 2012 Page 5

13 87 (72) 84 (115) 85 (137) 33 (391) 134 (28) 114 (10) 92 (237) 102 (10) 136 (230) 354 (315) 16 (40) 109 (157) 72 (44) 36 (56) 282 (363) 72 (44) 52 (46) 147 (123) 62 (62) 90 (103) 162 (119) 84 (90) 146 (146) 378 (260) 132 (54) 32 (92) 228 (249) 123 (79) 30 (27) 32 (28) 125 (153) 48 (48) 44 (20) 149 (137) 40 (12) 60 (50) 368 (237) 38 (68) 50 (68) 191 (229) 34 (24) 15 (9) 451 (421) 18 (33) 30 (15) 512 (406) 36 (33) 68 (67) 404 (396) 149 (146) 72 (158) 482 (488) 48 (13) 38 (75) 547 (485) 50 (69) 54 (142) 656 (490) 61 (78) 73 (29) 71 (53) 32 (12) 21 (9) 23 (47) 2 (4) 57 (27) 6 (18) 28 (18) 184 (134) 58 (33) 8 (10) 168 (127) 19 (14) 556 (564) 130 (177) 560 (574) 90 (162) 109 (136) 521 (245) 54 (24) 84 (93) 257 (260) 42 (39) 38 (35) 15 (35) 16 (8) 335 (185) 32 (3) 8 (5) 193 (242) 20 (24) 39 (33) 296 (196) 121 (69) 48 (81) 242 (209) 30 (18) 24 (27) 11 (11) 19 (15) 18 (17) 15 (11) 15 (18) 44 (16) 141 (16) 68 (24) 44 (20) 48 (40) 12 (8) 103 (151) 31 (18) 75 (98) 37 (53) 85 (146) 21 (19) 35 (43) 29 (36) 216 (187) 144 (125) 36 (32) 87 (76) 40 (35) 24 (21) 36 (32) 72 (63) 112 (97) 112 (97) 140 (122) 66 (58) LEGEND: xxx: Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (xxx): Midday Peak Hour Traffic Volumes xxx (xxx) Pedestrian Volumes Note: Not to Scale, Google Earth Imagery Client: Onni 56 (49) Proposed Mixed-Use Development, North Vancouver Exhibit Existing Traffic Volumes Project No

14 2 (3) 22 (22) 3 (4) 1 (2) 12 (11) 1 (2) 10 (5) 4 (5) 25 (34) 4 (1) 3 (3) 21 (12) 14 (4) 2 (1) 7 (2) 7 (2) 2 (1) 8 (6) 27 (38) 14 (15) 5 (5) 19 (15) 27 (29) 14 (15) 33 (39) 28 (22) 2 (2) 7 (6) 10 (7) 30 (20) 5 (3) 8 (15) 39 (19) 10 (12) 2 (5) 34 (24) 6 (10) 26 (16) 45 (30) 30 (18) 24 (7) 14 (36) 57 (31) 24 (10) 11 (21) 50 (49) 8 (4) 2 (1) 26 (16) 2 (1) 4 (2) 28 (24) 3 (3) 62 (64) 6 (1) 8 (3) 34 (43) LEGEND: xxx: (xxx): Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Midday Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Client: Onni Proposed Mixed-Use Development, North Vancouver Exhibit 2.3 Existing Site Traffic Volumes Note: Not to Scale, Google Earth Imagery Project No

15 88 (74) 86 (117) 87 (139) 34 (400) 137 (29) 116 (10) 95 (242) 104 (9) 139 (235) 361 (320) 16 (41) 111 (160) 74 (45) 37 (58) 288 (370) 74 (45) 93 (105) 166 (122) 86 (93) 54 (47) 150 (126) 64 (64) 149 (149) 385 (265) 135 (56) 33 (95) 231 (254) 125 (81) 31 (28) 33 (29) 128 (157) 49 (49) 45 (21) 152 (140) 41 (12) 62 (52) 374 (241) 38 (70) 52 (70) 194 (232) 35 (25) 15 (9) 460 (429) 19 (34) 31 (15) 522 (414) 37 (34) 70 (69) 412 (405) 152 (149) 74 (162) 492 (499) 49 (13) 39 (77) 558 (495) 51 (71) 56 (145) 669 (500) 63 (80) 75 (30) 73 (55) 33 (12) 22 (9) 24 (48) 2 (4) 59 (28) 0 (19) 29 (18) 188 (137) 60 (34) 8 (10) 172 (130) 20 (14) 619 (627) 81 (129) 572 (638) 92 (113) 111 (139) 531 (250) 56 (25) 86 (96) 262 (265) 43 (40) 39 (36) 15 (36) 16 (8) 340 (188) 33 (3) 8 (5) 197 (246) 21 (25) 40 (34) 303 (201) 123 (71) 49 (83) 247 (213) 31 (18) 24 (27) 11 (11) 19 (15) 19 (18) 15 (11) 15 (19) 45 (16) 144 (16) 70 (25) 45 (20) 49 (41) 12 (8) 104 (153) 32 (19) 77 (101) 37 (53) 86 (147) 21 (19) 35 (43) 67 (59) 29 (36) 218 (189) 145 (125) 36 (32) 88 (77) 40 (35) 24 (21) 36 (32) 73 (64) 113 (98) 113 (98) 141 (123) LEGEND: xxx: Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (xxx): Midday Peak Hour Traffic Volumes xxx (xxx) Pedestrian Volumes Note: Not to Scale, Google Earth Imagery Client: Onni 57 (49) Proposed Mixed-Use Development, North Vancouver Exhibit Background Traffic Volumes Project No

16 91 (76) 90 (122) 91 (146) 36 (420) 144 (30) 120 (10) 100 (255) 108 (8) 146 (247) 377 (335) 17 (43) 115 (168) 77 (47) 39 (61) 301 (387) 78 (48) 97 (110) 174 (128) 91 (97) 56 (50) 158 (132) 67 (67) 157 (157) 403 (277) 142 (58) 35 (100) 241 (265) 130 (84) 32 (29) 35 (30) 134 (165) 52 (52) 48 (22) 160 (147) 43 (13) 65 (54) 391 (252) 39 (73) 54 (74) 202 (242) 37 (26) 16 (10) 482 (450) 19 (36) 32 (16) 547 (434) 39 (36) 74 (73) 433 (425) 158 (156) 78 (170) 518 (524) 52 (14) 41 (81) 586 (520) 54 (75) 58 (153) 702 (524) 66 (84) 79 (31) 77 (57) 35 (13) 23 (10) 25 (51) 2 (4) 61 (29) 0 (19) 30 (19) 198 (144) 63 (36) 9 (11) 181 (136) 21 (15) 651 (660) 85 (135) 601 (670) 95 (118) 117 (146) 556 (261) 58 (26) 90 (100) 274 (278) 45 (42) 40 (37) 16 (38) 17 (8) 354 (194) 34 (3) 9 (5) 205 (256) 22 (26) 42 (36) 318 (211) 129 (74) 52 (88) 260 (224) 32 (19) 25 (28) 11 (11) 19 (15) 19 (18) 15 (11) 16 (19) 47 (17) 152 (17) 74 (26) 47 (21) 52 (43) 13 (9) 109 (160) 34 (19) 81 (106) 38 (54) 90 (155) 22 (20) 37 (46) 70 (62) 31 (38) 229 (199) 153 (133) 38 (34) 92 (81) 42 (37) 25 (22) 38 (34) 76 (67) 119 (103) 119 (103) 149 (130) LEGEND: xxx: Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (xxx): Midday Peak Hour Traffic Volumes xxx (xxx) Pedestrian Volumes Note: Not to Scale, Google Earth Imagery Client: Onni 59 (52) Proposed Mixed-Use Development, North Vancouver Exhibit Background Traffic Volumes Project No

17 methodology gives three indicators for the overall performance of an intersection and for the individual turning movements. The first is the volume to capacity ratio (v/c) where the volume is the number of vehicles wishing to make a certain movement, and capacity is the maximum number of vehicles that can be accommodated in an hour. This takes into account the number of lanes available for the movement, whether the movement is protected or permitted, conflicting traffic, the cycle length, and the amount of green time the movement receives. The higher the v/c ratio, the more congested the intersection becomes. When the v/c ratio is greater than 1.0, this indicates that more vehicles wish to make a given movement than are able to based on available capacity. The second measure, the average delay per vehicle, is based on the cycle length, the green time for each movement and the v/c ratios. The third measure is the level of service which is established from the average delay. The larger the average delay - and the higher the v/c ratio - the worse is the level of service. Table 2.4 shows the relationship between level of service and average per vehicle delay. Table 2.4: Intersection Level of Service vs. Delay Intersection Unsignalized Intersection LoS Avg. Delay (s/veh) Delays Avg. Delay A 10 Little or no delays 10 B > 10 and 20 Short traffic delays > 10 and 15 C > 20 and 35 Average traffic delays >15 and 25 D > 35 and 55 Long traffic delays >25 and 35 E > 55 and 80 Very long traffic delays > 35 and 50 F > 80 Failure > 50 The generally accepted guideline to determine whether or not a signalized intersection needs to be upgraded is that all individual movements should operate with a v/c ratio of 0.90 or less. If these thresholds are not achieved, any signal changes required to achieve these levels should be identified. These cover changes to signal timings and phasing, for example adding advanced phases for left turn movements and possible elimination of certain turning movements, but not the provision of additional capacity with extra through or turn lanes. When traffic generated by a development is added to an intersection and the v/c ratio of a specific movement that was less than 0.90 under background conditions is now greater than 0.90, then improvements must be identified to allow the movement to operate at 0.90 or less. If the movement was above 0.90 under background conditions, then the original v/c ratios must not be exceeded, i.e., the operation of the movement must be no worse as a result of the development. The performance of unsignalized intersections was also reviewed using the methodology for such intersections in the Highway Capacity Manual. The methodology estimates the capacity of each movement based on the conflicting pedestrian and traffic volumes. An operational level of service is assigned to the movement based on the volume and capacity and the relationship between the two was included in Table 2.4. While the overall level of service and delay for an unsignalized intersection provide a measure of overall performance, it is commonly turning movements at such intersections which are the primary focus of interest. With only low turning volumes from the minor road and high through volumes on the main road, delays to turning vehicles can become excessive. As delays increase, turning vehicles will attempt to turn across unacceptable gaps which can present safety concerns. The selected intersections were analyzed based on the existing intersection channelization, signal phasing, and cycle lengths under background traffic volumes for the 2014 and 2024 horizon years and p.m. and peak hours using the Highway Capacity Manual methods as implemented in October 10, 2012 Page 6

18 Synchro 8.0. A summary of the results is presented in Table 2.5 and the results for each intersection are given in the appendix. As shown in Table 2.5, all 11 intersections perform satisfactorily in both p.m. and peak hours in the 2014 horizon year. The signalized intersections also operate well in the 2024 horizon year with minimal change in the performance between 2014 and Overall, the Level of Service (LoS) is expected to remain satisfactory at LoS C or better with the volume/capacity (v/c) ratios of 0.74 or better in both the p.m. and peak hours. The only exception is the unsignalized 13 th Street/St. Andrews intersection where the stop-controlled south leg operates at LoS E or F, according to Synchro results. Given the low volume of traffic and also as there are alternative routes available via a traffic signal, no improvements are considered necessary. Table 2.5: Summary of Intersection Performance Background Traffic Intersection Peak Hour LoS Delay v/c LoS Delay v/c 13 Street/Chesterfield Ave 11 Street/Lonsdale Ave 13 Street/Lonsdale Ave 14 Street/Lonsdale Ave 15 Street/Lonsdale Ave 13 Street/St. Georges 15 Street/St. Georges 13 Street/St. Andrews 15 Street/St. Andrews 14 Street/St. Georges 14 Street/N-S Lane B B SAT A A B B SAT B B B B SAT B B A A SAT B B B B SAT B B B B SAT B B B B SAT B B E F SAT B B C C SAT B B C C SAT C C B B SAT C C LoS= Level of Service, Delay=average delay in seconds per vehicle; v/c ratio=volume to capacity ratio; overall intersection for signalized and the worst movement for unsignalized intersections 2.6 Land Use An aerial photograph showing the subject site and surrounding environs is presented in Exhibit 1.3. The site covers five adjacent parcels that presently accommodate a Safeway building at th Street, and two smaller commercial retail buildings at and th Street. The building at th Street in the northwest corner is currently vacant while the other accommodates a pet foods store. At 1308 Lonsdale Avenue, in the southwest corner of the site, is a public pay parking where Safeway customers can park for free for up to an hour. This lot includes two co-op/car sharing (Zipcars) parking spaces adjacent Lonsdale Avenue. The subject parcels are currently zoned as CD-216 (comprehensive development 216 zone), C-1A (commercial Central Lonsdale Mixed Use A) and C-1B (Central Lonsdale Mixed Use B). October 10, 2012 Page 7

19 Three other mixed commercial and retail parcels (C-1A) are located on the same block in the southeast corner of the 14 th Street/Lonsdale Avenue intersection fronting onto Lonsdale Avenue. These parcels will not be covered by the proposed redevelopment. A North-South lane with a 6.0 metre right-of-way (RoW) runs parallel to and approximately 45 metres east of Lonsdale Avenue. This lane provides access to the existing uses on the subject site and parking behind the adjoining other businesses in the northwest corner. It is also occasionally used by through traffic traveling between 13 th Street and 14 th Street. A high-rise mixed residential/commercial tower, referred to as The Grande, is located in the northwest corner of 13 th Street/St. Georges Avenue immediately east of the existing Safeway building. To the northeast is an RCMP office building and a public park/plaza. A private driveway runs east-west along the northern perimeter of the adjacent tower and the existing Safeway building continuing through to the Safeway parking lot. in conjunction with the proposed redevelopment, this lane is to be discontinued at its west terminus a short distance into the site. An agreement has been reached which will retain a short westerly segment to allow garbage collection operations at the adjacent tower. The subject site is located amidst numerous other retail, office, institutional and residential developments in the Central Lonsdale area of the City. Lions Gate Hospital is located to the northeast of the 13 th Street/St. Georges Avenue intersection. A medical centre building, ICBC offices and a Fire Hall are located on the south side of 13 th Street opposite the subject site. Two other pay parking lots are located on the south side of 13 th Street. The City Hall and other civic facilities are located to the west of Lonsdale Avenue. October 10, 2012 Page 8

20 3. SITE TRAFFIC This section presents the trip generation characteristics of the existing site and the proposed development. For this analysis, the site generated traffic was estimated using the June 21 development statistics consisting of 344 residential dwelling units, approximately 97,000 ft 2 of retail/ commercial area and approximately 79,000 ft 2 of office/ commercial area. 3.1 Existing Site The subject site currently accommodates a Safeway grocery store with a gross floor area (GFA) of approximately 2,490 m 2 (26,830 ft 2 ), a 38-space public pay parking including two co-op/car sharing spaces, a pet food store, and another smaller commercial building, which is currently vacant. A number of other commercial/retail units are presently located immediately northwest of the site fronting Lonsdale Avenue. The existing North-South lane is also used by these stores for rear parking, service and delivery purposes. These existing stores and the subject development will share the North-South lane with access retained from 14 th Street. For both existing and future uses, it will be important to keep the lane clear of all obstructions. The existing poles along the west side of the lane should be relocated or shielded to protect from potential impact by turning trucks. It is recommended that stopping be prohibited on the lane. In addition to accesses via the North-South lane at 13 th Street and 14 th Street, the existing Safeway site has three additional accesses, one each on 13 th Street and 14 th Street, and access from St. Georges Avenue in the east via an east-west private lane. The access on 13 th Street at the southeast corner serves trucks accessing the loading area for Safeway. The subject site currently accommodates a total of approximately 155 parking spaces. The existing vehicular accesses to the site are illustrated in Exhibit 3.1. Exhibit 3.1: Existing Site Accesses 14 Street In: 52 Out: 54 In: 8 Out: 30 Lonsdale Ave Pay Parking N-S Lane In: 12 Out: 100 In: 122 Out: 44 In: 10 Out: 4 Safeway E-W Private Lane 13 Street October 10, 2012 Page 9

21 3.2 Existing Site Traffic Surveys were undertaken at the existing Safeway site to assess trip generation characteristics. Two different data collection approaches were followed: - Pedestrian counts at the existing Safeway building entrance; and - Vehicular traffic counts at the five existing site access points. Table 3.1 provides a summary of the survey results. A total of 436 vehicles two-way were recorded in the weekday p.m. peak hour and 371 vehicles in the mid-day peak hour. These figures include traffic to/from Safeway and other uses on the subject site, i.e., the pay parking, and neighbouring businesses on Lonsdale Avenue, as well as some through traffic. A total of 596 and 545 two-way pedestrian movements were recorded at the Safeway building entrance in the p.m. peak hour and peak hour, respectively. Table 3.1: Existing Safeway Trip Generation and Site Access Volumes Item Direction Peak Hour SAT Peak Hour (a) Vehicular Movements at Site Accesses Inbound Outbound Total Vehicles (b) Pedestrian Movements at Safeway Entrance Inbound Outbound Total Person Trips Based on results from surveys at the existing Safeway Based on the existing Safeway floor area of approximately 26,830 ft 2, the total person trips equate to 22.2 persons/1000 ft 2 in the p.m. peak hour and 20.3 persons/1000 ft 2 in the peak hour. It is difficult to ascertain the trip purpose of the vehicular traffic movements at the site accesses. There are both site and non-site traffic, as well as through traffic using the North-South lane. Furthermore, non-safeway traffic parking on the site can exit the parking lot from all sides and difficult to intercept. The Safeway-oriented vehicular traffic was therefore estimated based on the observed person trips at the entrance to the Safeway building. Vehicle occupancy and mode split information was collected for the existing Safeway at both the site accesses and building entrances on May 9 and 12, The average vehicle occupancy was found to be 1.4 persons per vehicle and approximately 55% of the Safeway customers presently arrive by cars while the remaining 45% walk, bike or take transit. Based on this information, the observed Safeway person trips were expressed in vehicular trips. The resulting peak hour vehicular trip generation for the existing Safeway is presented in Table 3.2. Table 3.2 includes a comparison with the ITE trip estimates using fitted curve equations for the category Shopping Centre (land use code 820). The ITE rates appear to provide slightly higher trip estimates for the existing Safeway. The existing site traffic volumes are illustrated in Exhibit 2.3. October 10, 2012 Page 10

22 Table 3.2: Comparison of Existing Safeway Trips vs. ITE Estimates Item Direction Peak Hour SAT Peak Hour Existing Safeway Auto Trips Inbound Outbound Total Vehicle Trips 234* 214* ITE Trip Generation for Existing Safeway Inbound Outbound Total Vehicle Trips 263** 364** (*) Table 3.1 (b) person trips expressed in vehicular trips based on a vehicle occupancy of 1.4 persons/veh and auto mode split of 55%; (**) using ITE regression equations for Land Use Code 820 using existing Safeway size 26,830 ft 2 Based on the traffic estimates for the existing Safeway given in Table 3.2, it is possible to separate non-safeway traffic presently accessing the site. Given that a total of 436 and 371 vehicles were recorded in the two peak hours of which 234 and 214 are to/from Safeway, the remaining 202 (46%) and 157 (42%) vehicles/hour (two-way) are non-safeway traffic. This includes users of public pay parking and pet food store, neighbouring stores along Lonsdale Avenue, co-op/shared car spaces, and through traffic using the North-South lane. The non-site traffic other than the adjacent stores will not access the site as there will be no public pay parking or a direct lane connection between 13 th Street and 14 th Street for through movements. Traffic will remain on the surrounding road network but will be spread over a number of alternative routes and destinations. 3.3 Proposed Development The proposed concept plan for the development is illustrated in Exhibit 3.2 and the statistics are summarized in Table 3.3. Based on the current plan, the existing Safeway site and its adjoining parcels consisting of smaller commercial buildings and a public parking are to be consolidated and redeveloped to allow the construction of a high-density mixed residential and commercial development. The development will consist of approximately 9,010 m 2 (97,000 ft 2 ) floor space of retail, 7,340 m 2 (79,000 ft 2 ) of office and 344 multi-family dwelling units in two high-rise buildings. Table 3.3: Proposed Development Statistics Proposed Land Uses Size (dwelling units) Floor Area ( 000 ft 2 ) Group High-Rise Apartment 344 Residential Office 78.8 Office Grocery 36.7 Shopping Centre Pharmacy 11.2 Restaurant 8.3 General Retail 13.0 Fitness Center 22.2 Day Care 5.2 Total Residential 344 units Total Office Space 78,800 ft 2 Total Retail/Other 96,600 ft 2 Two vehicular accesses are proposed for the future development, one from 13 th Street approximately 50 metres west of St. Georges Avenue (measured between the nearest pavement edges) and another from 14 th Street via the existing North-South lane 45 metres east of Lonsdale Avenue. Both accesses will lead into a common underground parking. The existing pay parking on this site will be removed. The existing North-South lane will be closed at its south end just north of 13 th Street. In addition, the east-west private driveway will terminate shortly into the site. The October 10, 2012 Page 11

23 proposed child care facility will share the two vehicular accesses and the common underground parking proposed for the development. A number of on-site parking spaces will be designated for daycare pick-up/drop-off purposes. The daycare users will also be able to use on-street parking on 14 th Street depending on availability. October 10, 2012 Page 12

24 EXHIBIT 3.2 PROPOSED DEVELOENT PLAN October 10,

25 3.4 Proposed Development Traffic TRIP GENERATION UNADJUSTED The trip generation for the proposed development was initially estimated based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers' (ITE) standard trip rates. The ITE trip rates for the categories Shopping Centre (land use code 820), General Office Building (code 710) and Apartment (code 220) were considered. The ITE s recommended fitted-curve or regression equations were applied for the retail component of the development. Table 3.4 provides a summary of trip generation calculations based on the ITE methodology and before any adjustments for site-specific conditions. Table 3.4: Unadjusted ITE Trip Generation Land Use GLA (ft 2 ) Units Period Rate %In Total 4 In 4 Out 4 Retail 1 97, % SAT % Office 2 79, % SAT % Apartment % SAT % Total Residential SAT Total Non-Residential 176, SAT Total 176, SAT 1, (1) ITE trip equations for Shopping Centre Code 820; (2) average rates for General Office Bldg Code 710; (3) average rates for Apartment Code 220; (4) figures expressed in trips per hour In this multi-use development, a portion of the trips will be internal trips between the various uses. For example, some of the retail customers will be from the adjacent residential units in this development. The ITE recommended methodology to estimate internal trip capture is provided in its publication titled Trip Generation Handbook. Internal trip estimates for the proposed development applying the ITE methodology are summarized in Table 3.5. In addition, the retail component of the development will attract a portion of the trips from the existing traffic on the adjacent roads. Some of the traffic on the adjacent roads attracted to a new development is referred to as "pass-by" trips. The ITE s Trip Generation Handbook indicates the percentage of pass-by trips for the proposed development could be up to 40%. In this study, a more conservative 10% pass-by trips was assumed for both the p.m. and peak hours. The pass-by trips resulted in additional turning movement volumes at the site accesses. The trip generation adjustments for internal and pass-by trips are shown in Table 3.5. October 10, 2012 Page 12

26 Table 3.5: Trip Generation Adjustments Peak Hour SAT Peak Hour Land Use Total In Out Total In Out (a) Unadjusted Trips: Retail Office Residential Total , (b) Internal Trips: Retail Office Residential Total (c) External Trips: (a-b) Retail Office Residential Total (d) Pass-By Trips: Retail (pm 10%, Sat 10%) (e) Net New Trips: (c-d) Retail Office Residential Net New Trips TRIP GENERATION MODE SHARE ADJUSTMENTS At the existing Safeway site, vehicular trip generation is low due to a high percentage (45%) of nonvehicular, i.e., walk, bike and transit trips. The ITE trip rates are representative of mostly sub-urban locations in the U.S. with very little or no non-vehicular traffic. For the proposed development in the Central Lonsdale neighbourhood, a higher percentage of walk, transit and bike trips is expected, which requires site-specific adjustments to the ITE trip estimates in Table 3.5. The ITE vehicular trip estimates in Table 3.5 were expressed into equivalent person trips. The ITE rates were assumed to capture 95% of the total trip generation. Average vehicle occupancy of 1.4 persons per vehicle was applied, which is based on the survey results for the existing Safeway site. The estimated person trips were then divided by anticipated mode of travel. As discussed in Section 3.2, surveys conducted at the existing Safeway indicate approximately 55% of the existing trips are auto trips and the remaining 45% are walk, bike and transit trips. The City of North Vancouver's official Long-Term Transportation Plan, 2008 indicates that in Central Lonsdale approximately 50% of existing daily trips are auto, 25% walk, 23% by transit and 2% bike. The regional Trip Diary Survey and Statistics Canada s 2006 Census data for the entire City also indicate a high percentage of non-auto trips. For the purpose of analysis, the existing percentage of auto trips at 55% was also considered for the future site, which is the average of the rate in the City s Long Term Transportation Plan (50%) and that shown in the 2006 Census Results (61%), and also equates to the mode share observed at the existing Safeway. Automobile use is expected to reduce further in the long term with the on-going pedestrian and cyclist facility enhancements, improved transit service, City-wide demand management measures and other factors. October 10, 2012 Page 13

27 The resulting vehicular trip estimates, which take into account walk, bike and transit trips, are summarized in Table 3.6. Overall, the development is estimated to generate a total of 1,088 person trips in the p.m. peak hour (526 inbound and 562 outbound) and 1,178 person trips in the peak hour (626 inbound and 551 outbound). This compares to a total of approximately 596 and 545 person trips recorded at the Safeway accesses in the two peak hours, respectively. Table 3.6: Mode Adjustments - New Auto Trips Item Total In Out Total In Out (a) ITE New Auto Trips (b) ITE New Trips all Modes (a) (c) Total Person Trips all Modes (b)x1.4 1, , (d) Person Trips by Auto (c)x 55% (e) Vehicular Trips (d) 1.4 person/veh TRIP DISTRIBUTION The trip distribution of the proposed development was estimated based on the assumed catchment area for the retail development, shown in Exhibit 3.2, and applying Statistics Canada s population and dwelling unit counts. A market area similar to that for the existing Safeway was assumed for the proposed commercial development. Slight adjustments were made to take into account nonretail components of the development. Exhibit 3.2: Market Catchment Area for Existing Safeway October 10, 2012 Page 14

28 The retail component of the development generates approximately 80% of the trips in the p.m. and peak hours. The anticipated orientation of the residential and office were taken into consideration. The projected trip distribution for the development is provided in Table 3.7. As shown in the table, the majority of the trips are expected to be oriented to the east and west on 13 th Street and also north on Lonsdale Avenue. The pass-by trips were separately assigned to the adjacent 13 th Street and Lonsdale Avenue based existing peak hour traffic volumes on these roads. Table 3.7: Trip Distribution New Auto Trips Peak Hour SAT Peak Hour Sector % Distribution Inbound Outbound Inbound Outbound South on Lonsdale Ave 14% North on Lonsdale Ave 19% West on 13 Street 19% East on 13 Street 25% North on St Georges 11% South on St Georges 11% Total 100% The analysis assumed left turn exit movements prohibited from the future access onto 13 th Street. This affects approximately 80 vehicles/hour leaving the site and heading east on 13 th Street (55 vehicles) and also south on St. Georges Avenue (25 vehicles). The affected traffic will egress via the North-South lane and make a right turn from 14 th Street onto St. Georges Avenue and then turn left or continue southbound utilizing the signals at the 13 th Street/ St. Georges Avenue intersection SITE TRAFFIC ON ROADS Based on the trip generation and distribution assumptions, and taking into account the most logical routes, the site traffic was assigned to the surrounding road network. Exhibit 3.3 illustrates the resulting site traffic volumes at the selected intersections. The site traffic will be spread over a number of available routes and in the inbound and outbound directions of travel. The incremental volume of the site traffic on any individual movement is expected to be low. October 10, 2012 Page 15

29 3 (3) 25 (25) 81 (79) 24 (28) 24 (28) 25 (25) 56 (55) 24 (28) 2 (4) 14 (16) 9 (5) 18 (24) 3 (5) 39 (46) 42 (41) 30 (30) 3 (1) 52 (62) 25 (32) 2 (1) 27 (27) 2 (2) 28 (34) 3 (5) 37 (32) 3 (5) 33 (36) 1 (0) 4 (2) 4 (7) 3 (2) 5 (2) 5 (2) 1 (0) -9 (-13) 9 (13) -9 (-13) 49 (60) 1 (1) 52 (55) 9 (13) 2 (3) 30 (34) 9 (10) 28 (27) 5 (4) 2 (2) 49 (51) 5 (1) 7 (10) 8 (4) 8 (4) 58 (73) 36 (54) 61 (67) 106 (104) LEGEND: xxx: Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (xxx): Midday Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Note: Not to Scale, Google Earth Imagery Client: Onni 67 (80) -5 (-6) 0(0) 90(100) Proposed Mixed-Use Development, North Vancouver Exhibit 3.3 Future Site Traffic Volumes Project No (83) 108 (131) -5 (-6) 5(5) 2(2) 50(60) 2(2) 10(15) 20(25) 60(70) 30(40) 5(5) 70(80) 40(45) 20(25) 45(50) 90(100) 80(90) 30(40) 10(10)

30 4. COMBINED TRAFFIC CONDITIONS The "combined" or post-redevelopment traffic conditions in the 2014 opening year and 10 years after opening, i.e., in 2024 were analyzed. The combined volumes were obtained by superimposing the future site traffic volumes over the 2014 and 2024 background volumes and subtracting the existing site traffic volumes. The resulting combined volumes in the p.m. and peak hours in the 2014 and 2024 horizon years are given in Exhibits 4.1 and 4.2, respectively. 4.1 Combined Traffic Analysis The 11 selected intersections were reanalyzed this time applying the 2014 and 2024 combined volumes. Table 4.1 provides a summary of the results and more detailed results are given in the appendix. As shown in the table, all 11 intersections are expected continue to operate in a satisfactory manner even with traffic from the entire development in place. In the 2024 p.m. and peak hours, the Level of Service (LoS) at the intersections is expected to remain unchanged at C or better with a volume/capacity (v/c) ratio well within the typical threshold of No capacity improvements are therefore recommended. Similar to the background conditions, for the unsignalized 13 th Street/St. Andrews intersection Synchro results show LoS E or F. Given the low volume of traffic and availability of suitable alternative routes, no improvements are necessary. The 14 th Street/St Georges Avenue intersection and pedestrian crossing movements will perform satisfactorily despite the increase in the eastbound right-turn volumes. Table 4.1: Summary of Intersection Performance Combined Traffic Intersection Peak Hour LoS Delay v/c LoS Delay v/c 13 Street/Chesterfield Ave B B SAT A A Street/Lonsdale Ave B B SAT B B Street/Lonsdale Ave B B SAT B B Street/Lonsdale Ave B B SAT B B Street/Lonsdale Ave B B SAT B B Street/St. Georges B B SAT B B Street/St. Georges B B SAT B B Street/St. Andrews E F SAT B B Street/St. Andrews C C SAT B B Street/St. Georges C C SAT C C Street/N-S Lane C C SAT C C LoS= Level of Service, Delay=average delay in seconds per vehicle; v/c ratio=volume to capacity ratio; overall intersection for signalized and the worst movement for unsignalized intersections October 10, 2012 Page 16

31 75 (79) 157 (184) 100 (146) 34 (400) 137 (29) 115 (31) 120 (267) 145 (28) 139 (235) 351 (309) 15 (42) 103 (164) 69 (46) 37 (58) 280 (360) 74 (45) 31 (28) 33 (29) 128 (157) 48 (48) 45 (21) 152 (140) 40 (12) 62 (52) 317 (210) 14 (59) 52 (70) 196 (245) 35 (25) 15 (9) 457 (436) 19 (34) 31 (16) 522 (424) 37 (35) 70 (69) 406 (395) 154 (167) 74 (162) 492 (499) 49 (13) 41 (80) 583 (516) 54 (74) 56 (145) 679 (514) 63 (80) 75 (30) 74 (56) 33 (12) 21 (9) 28 (51) 2 (4) 54 (47) 150 (126) 65 (66) 93 (105) 166 (122) 88 (95) 147 (144) 390 (287) 135 (56) 33 (95) 228 (265) 126 (92) 58 (28) 0 (19) 26 (19) 186 (138) 60 (34) 8 (10) 171 (130) 20 (14) 610 (615) 82 (127) 563 (625) 113 (144) 111 (139) 533 (262) 56 (25) 85 (98) 259 (273) 43 (41) 77 (76) 24 (49) 16 (8) 327 (176) 31 (3) 8 (5) 198 (257) 21 (25) 40 (34) 303 (201) 124 (74) 49 (83) 247 (213) 31 (19) 71 (80) 6 (6) 106 (104) 19 (18) 5 (6) 15 (19) 45 (17) 144 (16) 70 (25) 45 (21) 49 (41) 12 (8) LEGEND: xxx: Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (xxx): Midday Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Note: Not to Scale, Google Earth Imagery Client: Onni 104 (153) 32 (19) 69 (95) 68 (88) 176(247) 26(24) Proposed Mixed-Use Development, North Vancouver Exhibit Combined Traffic Volumes Project No (45) 117(119) 31(38) 228(204) 165(150) 41(37) 178(177) 100(105) 44(46) 81(82) 103(104) 183(178) 143(138) 151(133) 97(94)

32 78 (82) 161 (190) 103 (152) 36 (420) 144 (30) 120 (31) 125 (279) 150 (26) 146 (247) 368 (323) 16 (44) 108 (172) 72 (48) 39 (61) 294 (378) 78 (48) 32 (29) 35 (30) 134 (165) 50 (50) 48 (22) 160 (147) 42 (13) 65 (54) 333 (221) 15 (62) 54 (74) 203 (254) 37 (26) 16 (10) 479 (457) 19 (36) 32 (17) 548 (444) 39 (36) 74 (73) 427 (415) 161 (174) 78 (170) 518 (524) 52 (14) 43 (84) 611 (541) 56 (78) 58 (153) 712 (538) 66 (84) 79 (31) 78 (59) 35 (13) 22 (10) 29 (53) 2 (4) 56 (50) 158 (132) 68 (69) 97 (110) 174 (128) 92 (100) 155 (152) 408 (299) 142 (58) 35 (100) 237 (276) 130 (96) 61 (30) 0 (19) 27 (20) 195 (144) 63 (36) 9 (11) 180 (136) 21 (15) 642 (647) 86 (133) 592 (658) 117 (149) 117 (146) 558 (274) 58 (26) 89 (103) 271 (285) 45 (43) 78 (77) 25 (51) 16 (8) 341 (182) 33 (3) 9 (5) 206 (267) 22 (26) 42 (36) 318 (211) 130 (78) 52 (88) 260 (224) 32 (20) 71 (80) 6 (6) 106 (104) 19 (18) 5 (6) 16 (19) 47 (18) 152 (17) 74 (26) 47 (22) 52 (43) 13 (9) LEGEND: xxx: Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (xxx): Midday Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Note: Not to Scale, Google Earth Imagery Client: 109 (160) 34 (19) 72 (100) 69 (89) 180(255) Onni 27(25) Proposed Mixed-Use Development, North Vancouver Exhibit Combined Traffic Volumes Project No (48) 120(122) 33(40) 239(214) 173(158) 43(39) 192(181) 102(107) 45(47) 83(84) 106(107) 189(183) 149(143) 159(140) 99(97)

33 4.2 Site Access Two accesses are proposed for the development, one on 13 th Street near the southeast corner of the site and the other one from the North-South lane which leads to 14 th Street. Presently there are three accesses on 13 th Street and two on 14 th Street, including access via the North-South lane. (a) South Access (13 th Street): This access is to be located approximately 50 metres west of St. Georges Avenue, measured between the nearest curbs. This will replace an existing loading access for the Safeway building. The future access will lead into a common underground parking. The access will serve approximately 300 vehicles two-way in the peak hour for which a single lane in each direction, inbound and outbound, will suffice. Separate turn lanes will not be required on the access. Given the proximity to the signalized intersection of 13 th Street/St. Georges Avenue, it is recommended that left turn exit movements from this access be prohibited. At present a separate eastbound left turn lane is provided on 13 th Street at St. Georges Avenue with a 25 metre taper and 30 metre storage. Beyond the left turn lane a wide painted centre median exists on 13 th Street which could be utilized to develop an eastbound left turn lane into the proposed access. Slight modifications to the existing eastbound left turn lane taper at the adjacent intersection will be necessary. This will not be an issue given that the low volume of eastbound left turn at the adjacent intersection is low (up to 65 vehicles/hour). A Right Turn Only sign is recommended on the access approach. A raised centre median to prohibit left turn exit movements can be accommodated but this is not desirable due to fire and hospital emergency vehicle movements in the area. Flexible centreline delineator posts are recommended to indicate left turn exit prohibition. A continuous sidewalk is recommended on the north side of 13 th Street across this access to indicate pedestrian priority. Both sides of the access should be kept clear of any object obstructing driver/pedestrian sight lines. (b) North Access (14 th Street): This will be an indirect access from 14 th Street via the existing North-South lane. The lane will be shared with existing stores fronting Lonsdale Avenue. This access will lead into the underground parking and be located just north of the loading bay. The projected site traffic volume on the lane is 250 vehicles two-way in the peak hour. It is understood that a turnaround point will be provided near the south terminus of the lane. It is recommended that both sides of the access and the loading facility will be kept clear of obstructions to ensure visibility of pedestrians on the proposed walkway on the east side of the lane. To ensure sight lines and facilitate traffic movements, stopping should be prohibited on the lane and also on the south side of 14 th Street between Lonsdale Avenue and the North-South lane. The sidewalk on the south side of 14 th Street should be continued across the lane by means of a straight flare. The design of the lane and the access will be determined based on turning path analysis. Both sides of the lane at 14 th Street and at site accesses should be kept clear of any object obstructing sight lines. October 10, 2012 Page 17

34 The proposed site accesses were analyzed applying the 2024 combined traffic volumes. The results presented in Table 4.2 indicate satisfactory performance in both p.m. and peak hours. Table 4.2: Summary of Access Performance (2024) Intersection/Period Measure EBL WBL WBR NBT SBL SBR (a) Peak Hour: Access/13th Street LoS B x A x x C v/c Ratio Delay, s Queue, m Access/N-S Lane LoS x A A A A x v/c Ratio (b) SAT Peak Hour: Access/13th Street LoS B x A x x C v/c Ratio Delay, s Queue, m Access/N-S Lane LoS x A A A A x v/c Ratio The following is a brief summary of the analysis results: Both accesses operate satisfactorily at LoS C or better; All movements operate well with a v/c ratio of 0.27 or lower; The 95 th percentile queue length for the left-turn movement from 13 th Street into the site will be less than 5.0 meters; The unsignalized access on the North-South Lane will operate without any problem due to low traffic volumes; and The access on 13 th Street is expected to operate similar to the existing site access on 13 th Street. In addition, there will be fewer conflict points on 13 th Street due to the removal of an adjacent access, prohibition of left turn egress, and truck back-in into the Safeway loading bay TH STREET CONFIGURATION In the vicinity of the site, 14 th Street presently accommodates two-way traffic flow for approximately 45 metres between Lonsdale Avenue and the North-South lane while it is restricted to one-way eastbound only movements between the lane and St. Georges Avenue. This is presumably part of traffic calming measures implemented along 14 th Street throughout North Vancouver. Other measures implemented elsewhere include dead-end segments, traffic circles, and corner bulges. Excluding parking on both sides, the effective width currently available for traffic flow is approximately 7.0 metres on the one-way segment and 8.0 metres on the two-way segment. The October 10, 2012 Page 18

35 peak hour traffic volume on 14 th Street at the west end is approximately 300 vehicles two-way compared to 190 vehicles one-way eastbound at the east end. The City requested a review of potential reconfiguration of 14 th Street from one-way to two-way adjacent to the site. Such conversion would facilitate access to developments on both sides of 14 th Street and also Lions Gate Hospital. This will also increase connectivity in the road network. Due to this change, minor traffic redistribution is expected. For example, some of the westbound traffic on 13 th Street presently performing a right turn at Lonsdale Avenue and southbound traffic on St. Georges Avenue making a right turn at 13 th Street would reroute and use the new westbound link on 14 th Street. Such redistribution is not likely to have any significant impact at the intersections of 14 th Street at Lonsdale Avenue or at St. Georges Avenue. With the two-way operation in place, the subject development is estimated to add up to 50 vehicles/hour to the westbound movement on 14 th Street. The overall level of service will remain satisfactory. The reconfiguration to accommodate two-way movements can be physically accomplished by means of lane marking revisions within the existing pavement width. This reconfiguration is however not necessary to accommodate traffic generated by this development. 4.3 Parking Requirements This section presents parking requirements for the proposed development, based on 342 apartment units and 180,557 ft 2 of commercial space currently proposed. With reference to the subject mentioned above, the new development requires 952 parking spaces (illustrated in Table 4.3) The City of North Vancouver s Zoning Bylaw, 1995, No. 6700, Division IV: Parking and Loading Standards, outlines minimum off-street parking requirements for new developments. Table 4.3 provides a summary of the parking calculations for the proposed development based on the City s Bylaw. The requirement depends on the zoning assumption for the office and commercial retail units. Based on the assumed C1-A, C1-B zoning, the requirement equates to 835 parking spaces, while based on C-2, C-3, CS-1 zoning, the requirement increases to 921 spaces. Table 4.3: Bylaw Parking Requirements Required Parking Spaces per Bylaw Land Use Development (Units/ Sq. ft) Bylaw Rate Spaces Residential Market spaces/unit 396 Affordable spaces/unit 9 Food Store 36, space/200 ft Commercial Office/Other Commercial* 129, space/750 ft 2 (500 ft 2 ) 173 (259) Restaurant** 8, space/125 sq. ft. 66 Childcare 6, space/750 sq. ft. 8 Residential Required 405 Commercial Required 430 (516) Total Required 835 (921) *1 space/750 ft 2 for a building in C1-A, C1-B Zones, for the same use in C-2, C-3, CS-1 the requirement is 1 space/500 ft 2 ; ** requirement for a restaurant in CS-1 or CS-3 Zone October 10, 2012 Page 19

36 The current site concept plan includes a total of 926 parking spaces in the underground parking, which meets the bylaw requirements. Based on the requirement for developments in C-2, C-3, CS-1 zones, there would be only five parking spaces in excess of the requirement. A portion of on-site parking spaces closest to the building entrances should be designated as disabled parking. It is recommended that five on-site parking spaces close to the child care facility be designated for short duration pick-up/drop-off purposes. Five on-site parking spaces can be designated for car-sharing/co-op programs to promote this alternative mode of travel. It would be desirable to separate commercial and residential parking and prohibit use of commercial parking by residents. With the removal of an existing site access on 14 th Street, additional angled parking could be added on the south side. Given that the underground ramp from 13 th Street will have a vertical clearance of 3.0 metres, loading/unloading of HandyDART vehicles, ambulances, and smaller delivery trucks can also take place in the underground parking. 4.4 Loading Requirements EXISTING TRUCK ACCESS AND LOADING At present, a total of 10 to 12 trucks per day serve the existing Safeway, of which, typically two and occasionally four are tractor semi-trailer trucks with the remaining ones being smaller single unit/straight trucks. The largest truck presently arriving is WB-20, which has an overall length of 21.3 meters (70 feet). All trucks presently access the loading bay by reversing in from 13 th Street, which affect traffic operations on this major arterial and is undesirable from a pedestrian movement point-of-view. Large trucks arrive from the north on Lonsdale Avenue LOADING REQUIREMENTS Table 4.4 summarizes the number of loading spaces required under the City s Zoning Bylaw. The bylaw stipulates loading requirements for commercial buildings involving the movement of goods and materials by trucks. Table 4.4: Loading Requirements Land Use/ Class of Building Bylaw Rate Development Bylaw Requirement Commercial 1.0 spaces per 15,000 ft 2 180,557 ft 2 12 For the proposed commercial uses in this development, a total of 12 loading bays are required which seems excessive considering the practical requirements in an urban environment. To address practical loading requirements for multi-unit residential uses and for commercial uses including grocery stores and supermarkets, the City of Richmond and Toronto Loading standards have been reviewed for comparison purposes. Tables 4.5 and 4.6 summarize loading space requirements based on bylaws from these two reference cities. October 10, 2012 Page 20

37 Table 4.5: Loading Requirements (Richmond, BC) Land Use Bylaw Rate Bylaw Bylaw (shared)* Medium Large Medium Large Residential Medium: 1+1 space/ each 160 du over 240 du Large : 1 space/ every 2 bldg Commercial Medium: 1+1 space/ each 53,820 (ft 2 ) over 20,020 (ft 2 ) Large: 1 space/ each 53,820 (ft 2 ) over 20,020 (ft 2 ) Total * On-site medium-size & large-size loading spaces could be shared Table 4.6: Loading Requirements (Toronto, ON) Land Use Bylaw Rate Bylaw Medium Large Residential 1.0 medium spaces/ 31 to 399 units 1 0 Commercial ft 2 or greater 3 2 Total 4 2 Allowance is being made for a total of six loading spaces, except that maximum flexibility is provided by having four large spaces and two medium spaces, of which one large space will be for residential uses and the remaining five for commercial uses PROPOSED TRUCK ACCESS In determining the location for truck entry and exit points, the following routes have been considered: Loading Dock Access - Comparison Route Advantage Disadvantage Furthest route from Lonsdale; A route used by Hospital vehicles; St Georges Ave E 13 th Street E 14 th Street Away from main pedestrian corridor on E 14 th Street; Dedicated left turn lane for truck maneuvering; Shortest Distance from Hwy 1 and a truck route (Lonsdale Ave); Not used by emergency vehicles; Minimum space required for internal truck maneuvering; Minimum width of entry/ exit point required for truck maneuvering; Future loading access for a development at the SE corner of Lonsdale/ 14 th St Narrow private lane to access site; Large space required for internal truck maneuvering; Private lane sharing issues; Potential on-street queuing; Lane is RCMP emergency entrance Further route from Lonsdale than 14 th St; A route used by Fire/ Hospital vehicles; Large space required for internal truck maneuvering; Wide entry point required for truck maneuvering; Conflict with pedestrian movements; Within a main pedestrian corridor Within E 14 th Street pedestrian corridor October 10, 2012 Page 21

38 Considering advantages and disadvantages of each alternative truck route, access via Lonsdale Avenue, 14 th Street and the North-South lane has been selected as the most suitable route. For a satisfactory loading access from 14 th measures are recommended: Street for tractor semi-trailer trucks, the following Given the roadway geometric constraints, the overall length of the largest truck serving the future site should be limited to 19.5 metres (64 feet) or WB-17 trucks; WB-17 trucks will arrive during pre-defined time periods, preferably outside of the mid-day pedestrian peak period of activity and afternoon traffic peak hours; On-street parking on south side of 14 th Street between Lonsdale Avenue and the lane be removed. A separate agreement has been reached with the adjacent mixed-use building (The Grande) management, as discussed in Section 2.1 to retain their garbage collection capabilities on the eastwest private lane. The proposed relocation of the loading bay from 13 th Street to the lower volume lane via 14 th Street will improve traffic flow and safety on 13 th Street, which is a major arterial road. The proposed arrangement with a small number trucks and WB-17 semi-trailer trucks arriving during pre-defined hours will be acceptable. 4.5 Bicycle Parking Requirements Table 4.6 summarizes the bicycle parking requirements under the City s Bylaw and the proposed supply. For the proposed development a total of 136 short term bike parking and 581 secure parking spaces are required based on the parking bylaw. Table 4.6: Bylaw Bicycle Requirements Land Use/ Class of Building Bylaw Rate Description Bylaw Residential 6 spaces per every 60 units short term space per unit secure 513 Commercial 6 spaces per 10,764 ft 2 short term spaces per 2,690 ft 2 secure 68 Total short term 136 secure 581 It is understood that adequate bicycle parking will be provided which will meet the bylaw requirements. Accessory end destination facility requirements are also applicable to this development. Such facilities include water closets, showers and wash basins for non-residential users. The current development plan includes six showers, four toilets, and six wash basins. October 10, 2012 Page 22

39 5. ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVE MODES This section presents a discussion on the existing non-vehicular modes of travel, which includes walk, bike and transit, and the associated trip generation by mode due to this development. 5.1 Existing Pedestrian Facilities The subject site is located in an urban environment amidst a number of other retail, commercial, healthcare facilities, parks, transit stops and other amenities that generate significant pedestrian activity. The location of the site in the context of various pedestrian routes is shown in Exhibit 5.1. Lonsdale Avenue and 14 th Street are designated as secondary greenways in the City of North Vancouver Long-Term Transportation Plan, Both of these roads are also designated as part of the Necklace Trail System. The existing pedestrian volumes at the selected intersections are provided in Appendix A. Exhibit 5.1: Existing Pedestrian Routes At present sidewalks are provided on both sides of all roads in the vicinity of the site. Also, the sidewalks are connected by crosswalks and corner ramps at the intersections. Crosswalks are October 10, 2012 Page 23

40 provided on all legs at the signalized intersections. Marked crosswalks are also provided at the unsignalized intersections, which include the following locations: 13 th Street/St. Andrews Avenue: west leg only; 14 th Street/St. Georges Avenue: north and south legs; 14 th Street/North-South Lane: South leg only; and 15 th Street/St. Andrews Avenue: west, north and south legs. At the intersection of 14 th Street/St. Georges Avenue, special crosswalks, i.e., overhead signs with pedestrian activated flashing beacons are provided for east-west pedestrian crossing movements TH STREET MID-BLOCK CROSSWALK A mid-block crosswalk is provided on 13 th Street adjacent to the site for north-south pedestrian movements. At this crosswalk, a small raised centre median on 13 th Street allows pedestrians to use median refuge and cross the road in two stages. The crosswalk is approximately 100 metres east of the signalized Lonsdale Avenue intersection, and 114 metres west of another north-south crosswalk at the St. Georges Avenue intersection. Exhibit 5.2 illustrates the existing mid-block crosswalk on 13 th Street. The crosswalk is aligned with the existing Safeway building entrance on the north side and a medical centre building at the south end. Exhibit 5.2: Existing Mid-Block Pedestrian Crossing on 13 th Street On October 25 and 30, 2010, IBI Group recorded pedestrian activity at the mid-block crosswalk during the weekday mid-day peak hour and the mid-day peak hour. The weather was clear or sunny on both days. A summary of the counts is provided in Table 5.1. Approximately 220 pedestrians were recorded at the crosswalk in the p.m. peak hour and 100 pedestrians in the mid-day peak hour. Based on count data for the adjacent intersections, two-way vehicular traffic volumes on 13 th Street during these time periods are 950, 835 vehicles, respectively. The level of interaction between pedestrians and vehicular traffic at the crosswalk reaches the peak in the p.m. peak hour. Pedestrians using the crosswalk include Safeway customers, users of pay parking located on both sides of 13 th Street, and walking to/from other business in this area. October 10, 2012 Page 24

41 Table 5.1: Pedestrian Activity at Mid-Block Crosswalk on 13 th Street Peak Hour SAT Peak Hour Movement Pedestrians Vehicles Pedestrians Vehicles Northbound Direction (EB) (EB) Southbound Direction (WB) (WB) Total (2-way) (2-way) The existing pedestrian volumes at the mid-block crosswalk are comparable to the north-south pedestrian movements at the nearby signalized intersection at St. Georges Avenue where 250 and 220 pedestrians were recorded in the p.m. and peak hours, respectively. The future grocery store building entrance will be only 60 metres east of the north-south crosswalk at the signalized 13 th Street/Lonsdale Avenue intersection. Also, the existing public pay parking will be removed from this site. With these changes, the pedestrian crossing demand at the mid-block crosswalk is expected to increase by up to 100 pedestrians/hour. The demand will also increase at the adjacent signalized intersections, especially with another high-rise development in the southeast corner of 13 th Street/Lonsdale Avenue. Assuming the existing demand to remain unchanged at 216 pedestrians, and including 100 pedestrians from the future site, a total of 316 pedestrians would use the crosswalk in the peak hour. A warrant analysis was undertaken for the mid-block crossing to assess the need for a traffic control device. The analysis used 2024 p.m. peak hour traffic volumes and noon peak hour pedestrian volumes. This combination of two peak volumes provided a worst-case scenario. The analysis was based on the Transportation Association of Canada s (TAC) recommended methodology given in Pedestrian Crossing Control Manual. The following inputs were used: Traffic volumes: Pedestrian count: Roadway cross section: Speed limit: 1,000 veh/h (620 eastbound) in 2024 p.m. hour 316 (30 children, 10 seniors, 276 adult)= 351 EAUs 2 travel lanes each way (with median refuge island) 50 km/h The midblock crosswalk on 13 th Street has a median refuge island and the crosswalk is divided into two staggered segments. This allows pedestrians to cross the two eastbound and two westbound lanes separately in two stages. Considering the median refuge, the eastbound and westbound lanes on 13 th Street can be considered as separate dual-lane, one-way roadways. The TAC warrant analysis indicates whether the unsignalized crosswalk needs to be upgraded to the next level or a special crosswalk (flashing beacons) or pedestrian-actuated signals or half signals. Based on the TAC nomograph shown in Exhibit 5.3, a three-lane one-way roadway carrying 600 vehicles/hour typically has 230 crossing opportunities per hour. A two-lane one-way roadway, which is the subject case, is expected to have more than 250 crossing opportunities. Based on the TAC warrant chart shown in Exhibit 5.4, the projected demand of over 300 pedestrians/hour does not trigger the standard warrants for crosswalk upgrade, which is due to the high number of crossing opportunities. The existing crosswalk with the median refuge can therefore be retained. It is however recommended that illumination be improved at the crosswalk location. In addition, overhead crosswalk signs and pedestrian-activated flashing beacons would be desirable to increase driver attention. October 10, 2012 Page 25

42 The existing separate eastbound left turn lane at the mid-block Safeway access will need to be removed. This will allow an extension of the existing westbound left turn storage at the 13 th Street/Lonsdale Avenue intersection. Exhibit 5.3: TAC Estimated Crossing Opportunities for a 3-Lane One-Way Cross-Section Exhibit 5.4: TAC Pedestrian Crossing Control Warrant Chart 5.2 Existing Bicycle Facilities In addition to greenways and trail system discussed in the preceding section, 13 th Street running along the southern perimeter of the site is part of the City s official bicycle network plan and designated for improvement in the longer term. Exhibit 5.5 illustrates the current bicycle network in the vicinity of the site as identified in the City s Long-Term Transportation Plan. October 10, 2012 Page 26

43 Exhibits 5.6 and 5.7 illustrate the recently added bike lanes on 13 th Street between Lonsdale Avenue and Chesterfield Avenue. This includes a separate eastbound bike lane and a shared westbound bike lane painted green and marked with bike stencils. To the west cyclists share road with motorists. Exhibit 5.5: Bicycle Network The City has plans to extend this bike facility to the east of Lonsdale Avenue, i.e., adjacent to the subject site. This will require modification to the existing road cross-section from two travel lanes in each direction to a single eastbound vehicle travel lane plus a dedicated bike lane, and two travel lanes in the westbound direction with the curb lane becoming a shared bike and vehicle lane similar to the segment immediately west of Lonsdale Avenue. In October 2010, just after bike lanes were added on 13 th Street, bicycle volumes were recorded on 13 th Street between Lonsdale Avenue and St. Georges Avenue. Table 5.2 provides a summary of the results indicating the volume of cyclists using the new bike facilities. Table 5.2: Bicycle Volumes 13 th Street east of Lonsdale Avenue Direction Peak Hour SAT Peak Hour Eastbound 3 6 Westbound 3 3 Total 6 9 October 10, 2012 Page 27

44 Exhibit 5.6: East-West Bicycle Facilities on 13 th Street Exhibit 5.7: Shared Bike Lane on 13 th Street west of Lonsdale Avenue Currently, bicycle activity at the study intersections is very low to none. The volume of cyclists on 13 th Street and other roads in this area are expected to be higher in the summer months. In addition, the new facilities added by the City will attract more users once cyclists become aware of the new facilities provided and a more continuous link is established. Residential densification in the area will also contribute to this growth. October 10, 2012 Page 28